1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus for securely displaying, marketing and recharging battery operated, hand-held electronic devices. In particular, the present invention relates to a display apparatus that interactively delivers product information about a device selected by a potential customer from the display, collects and transmits marketing information about the selected device, while allowing the potential customer to hold the device at a limited distance from a display which automatically retracts and correctly positions the hand-held device on the display after its release, and more particularly, to such a display apparatus that is capable of charging the battery of the device while at the same time protecting the device against pilferage with wired and wireless alarms controlled by the display apparatus.
2. Description of Prior Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 1.98
With the growth of electronic devices in general, and the ability to miniaturize such devices in particular, light weight, battery operated, hand-held devices have become pervasive. Such devices include mobile phones, digital cameras, global positioning systems and hand-held computers, as well as music recording/playback units, and are sold to the public in a wide range of retail stores.
To properly market such devices, research indicates that consumers need to assure themselves that the device can be used comfortably and easily manipulated in the hands of the prospective consumer. In other words, the consumer must be free to hold and handle the device to make sure it is suitable. However, by allowing a consumer to inspect the item in that manner, the retailer is subjected to the possibility of substantial loss through theft and other forms of shrinkage and breakage. Currently, the shrinkage of small portable electronic devices is estimated to be as much as about 20%.
It is also important for the marketing of such devices that the devices be displayed in the proper orientation, that is, the devices must always be presented to the potential consumer in an upright position. That requirement is successfully dealt with in U.S. Pat. No. 6,659,382, entitled “Security Device For Display of Hand Held Items” issued to Richard Ryczek on Dec. 9, 2003 and owned by the assignee of the present application, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
In the apparatus described in that patent, the displayed device is attached to a support by a tether such that it can be moved away from the support and held by the potential consumer. A positioning system is provided so that when the hand-held device is retracted, the male component of the clamp that engages the device can be received in the female component on the support in only a single relative orientation. That or a similar positioning system may be used with the present invention, as explained below.
Various attempts have been made to make retail displays which allow manipulation of displayed devices while attempting to prevent theft. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,183 issued on Sep. 21, 1993 to Leyden discloses a tethering device for use in locations such as motel rooms that allows a remote control to be used but prevents its removal from the room. A spring in combination with a spool and cable allows a user to pull the hand-held remote control from a fixed position and automatically returns the hand-held remote control back to its original location. However, the Lyden apparatus is not a display device for marketing. It does not guide the displayed item after release into a desired upright display position.
While there have been a number of holders for hand-held telephones, hand-held computers and the like, they have been designed to facilitate carrying and using the device rather than for security in display and marketing. Prior to the device disclosed in the aforementioned Ryczek patent, there was no apparatus designed for securing a mobile phone on a display. There were, however, various devices that achieve the reverse. Such devices come with a variety of quick release mechanisms. See for example U.S. Pat. No. 5,903,645 issued on May 11, 1999 to Tsay and U.S. Pat. No. 5,555,302 issued on Sep. 10, 1996 to Wang.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,002,921 issued on Dec. 14, 1999 to Pfahlert discloses a lockable cradle for holding a radiotelephone for use in vehicles that is released by a radio signal. That vehicle mounted apparatus must be of a special construction and size to mate with the security system having grooves. Moreover, that apparatus is not designed for use in display systems, with existing devices, nor does it include a retracting and positioning system of the present invention.
The apparatus disclosed in the aforementioned Ryczek patent was the first apparatus of its type to fulfill the above noted requirements. The apparatus disclosed in that patent was designed specifically for displaying mobile phones and other hand-held devices. It includes three major components: a clamping system, a retracting system and the positioning system briefly described above.
The clamping system consists of two parts which are fastened together around a fitting attached to the end of a cord. The fitting has a hole drilled through it to allow such a fastening. A single security screw or bolt holds the two parts together with a key required to turn the head of the bolt or screw. The clamping system is locked onto the fitting and cannot be removed without the proper key. The clamping system has a lip on two opposite sides which prevents a person from removing the hand held device when the clamping system is fastened to the fitting and the hand held device is within the lips of the clamping system and attaches to a cable with a device also having a positioning guide to assure proper orientation of the hand-held device on display.
The retracting system includes a coil spring, a spool and a cord mounted in a common decorative support on which the displayed device rests. One end of the coil spring connects to the spool and the other end is attached to the support. The cord is wrapped around the spool with one end attached to the spool and the other end attached to the mobile phone. When the displayed device is removed from the support, the spool is turned and the coil spring is placed in tension. When the displayed device is released, the coil spring returns the spool to its original position.
The positioning system is provided to bring the displayed device back to its desired display position. The cord attached to the spool and the displayed device is made from a relatively stiff material such as braided steel wire or cable. Thus, if the cord is pulled from the display unit and the displayed device is twisted or turned, the cord will develop a counter force to return the displayed device, upon release, to the original, upright position.
To guide the device back into the proper position, the cord has on the end that emerges from the support a first half of a positioning system which connects to the clamping system. The positioning system comprises interlocking or complementary male and female fittings. The fitting attached to the end of the cord may be either male or female with a corresponding mating fitting mounted on the support. The cross-section of the male-female fitting pair may be of any shape other than circular with ovoid shapes preferred and cross-sectional ovoid shapes having guiding ribs contained within the ovoid female cross-section or on the exterior of the male ovoid cross-section most preferred. A non-circular shape, such as an ovoid, along with the ribs will assure that when the male fitting enters its female counterpart, the orientation of the fitting at the end of the cord will be the same as when the fitting, clamping system, or any device held within the clamping system, was pulled. The ribs assist with the guidance of the male fitting into the female fitting and assure that the fitting will return to its intended display orientation. Thus, the security display apparatus of the patent meets the needs of consumers and merchants by enabling a potential purchaser to conveniently examine a hand-held device while preventing its theft and guaranteeing its return to a suitable display position when released after examination.
The aforementioned display apparatus of the Ryczek patent does not address the issue of providing an alarm to alert store and security personnel if a displayed electronic device is removed from the clamping device or if the tether connecting the electronic device to the display apparatus is cut or if the electronic device is removed from the store or display area. Nor does it address the issue of providing an audible alarm if a displayed electronic device is tampered with by removal of the power plug from the device or removal of the device itself from the means used to secure it to the security tether or if the electronic device is removed from the store or display area. It does not have the capability of wirelessly transmitting an alarm signal to security personnel at a location remote from the display or of displaying a visual alert on a video display that forms part of the display apparatus. All of the above are addressed by the apparatus of the instant invention.
In addition, the Rycek display apparatus does not provide a means of interactively providing product information relating to a particular device of interest to a potential customer or of interactively providing information for training sales personnel, as is provided by the apparatus of the instant invention.
Due to the high rate of shrinkage of hand-held consumer electronics stocks, there is a need not only to deter pilferage of such items on display by tethering and clamping the device but also for alerting store and security personnel by alarm and visual means if the device is removed from the clamp, or if the tether or power supply cord are severed.
Because the areas in which such hand-held consumer electronic devices are displayed are often crowded there is also a need to visually identify the perpetrator of a theft or attempted theft of the displayed devices.
Because of the manifold features of the many models and brands of hand-held consumer electronic devices such as cellular phones, digital cameras, global positioning systems and hand-held computers, as well as music recording/playback units, there is a need to conveniently, effectively and interactively provide product information and comparisons about a device selected by a potential customer from the display apparatus.
There is, in addition, a need to interactively train sales personnel on the features and comparative features of the many models and brands of handheld consumer electronic devices such as cellular phones, digital cameras, global positioning systems and hand-held computers, as well as music recording/playback units.
There is a further need to immediately obtain information on customer preferences, for use in marketing these devices, for any one or all of the displayed handheld consumer electronic devices.